Results 13,561-13,580 of 18,593 for speaker:Michael Creed
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: The Senator referred to one of the representative bodies. As already stated, its representatives are continuously in and out of my office and I have never refused to meet them. I have been on trade missions and I am aware that there is an insatiable global demand for seafood products. Aquaculture is critical to meeting this demand. In fact, production from farmed fish, whether shellfish...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: I am aware of the detail of the case but I do not wish to go into it now. There are circumstances surrounding the case which gave rise to that time delay. As I understand it, there was a requirement to re-engage in the public consultation process.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: I will not discuss individual applications.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: On the latter point, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine runs agricultural schemes. It determines the nature of the scheme, invites people to apply, determines the outcome of applications and polices compliance with the terms and regulations. I have never heard the Deputy make the point - because I do not believe it is sustainable or that the case is made - that the...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: I am not convinced by that argument. It appears to be borne out of a belief that it might be less onerous in some way. We all operate under the same law. In many respects, I would say that the Deputy should be careful what he wishes for because a new body might not be as understanding as the Department in the context of breaches or compliance issues.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: I appreciate that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: I appreciate the Deputy's observations. I said at the outset what I thought was the most critical recommendation, which is to clear the backlog; the report states that also. It states that this is the most critical service we could do for this sector, and that is what we are doing. We are dealing with that. The rest is secondary. Legislation is required in terms of some of it. The...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: We have to have support as well when we try it. I hear the points the Deputy is making. On resources, I am advised that the last time the Aquaculture Licences Appeals Board sought additional resources it was given additional resources. There is no current ask. I understand they were given if not last year, the year before that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: I am saying there is no standing ask from them. There are issues that cause delays other than resources. Additional resources have been given to the section in the Department also. I do not propose to change tack in respect of the overarching imperative to deal with the backlog. We have touched on some of the other recommendations. There would be mixed views in the industry about some...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: We have moved in terms of resources and other issues in terms of the-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: The Deputy touched on the six-month timeline recommendation. I appreciate that six months is an important target but I would suspect it is extremely difficult to meet that target. The Scottish licensing process takes approximately two years.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: We are doing that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: The report identified the backlog, with which we will deal.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: I will do so once I have made sufficient progress on the licensing issue. I do not propose to task the division which has been challenged to deal with the backlog to deal with other issues that are less important.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: We could then start to miss the deadline of 2019. I do not propose to miss it.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: They are €65 million and €57 million.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: There are 38 finfish licences, while more than 300 shellfish licences were dealt with last year alone.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: We have made substantial progress since in dealing with the backlog.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: None of which is as critical as the issue we have prioritised.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Aquaculture Licensing Review Process: Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine (23 Oct 2018)
Michael Creed: The Senator should compare like with like. We are producing organic product. The Senator's lack of knowledge is being exposed. He is showboating.